His Little Bird [A Naruto Fanfiction] [Shikamaru x OC]

[18] Hebi

AN: This music is by Adrian von Ziegler, I don't own any of it. I just feel like it sets the mood for the creepy-ass forest well. The photo is my life. It's one of my favorite stills, just because of the range of things that's going on. Plus I always love it when Naruto looks like he's about to shit himself. c:

Enjoy the chapter!

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Team Eleven raced through the trees, searching for a place to lay low for a bit while they came up with a plan.

"Sen, weren't you going to transform?" Ukon prodded, his breathing slightly labored as he tried to keep up with the swift kunoichi.

"Not quite yet, I-" Sen started, but Hiroe quickly interjected.

"It would be best if it was done now. Act as though you're being followed or watched every moment we're in this forest. This isn't Eri Sensei's survival test, there's eighty more people this time and they're all fighting for their lives. We must do the same." His voice was level, analytical, a verbal expression of how calm and collected Hiroe always appeared. There was just something about his words. The way he phrased his explanation made Sen's skin crawl with discomfort, it almost seemed as though even Hiroe was nervous. If he was, perhaps this test would end up being far more dangerous than Sen had initially assumed.

The girl let out a sigh. She knew what Hiroe said was true, but that didn't mean she appreciated being one-upped by him all the time. She and Ukon knew he was smart, so why did he have to show it off all the time? Thoughts like that weren't important now, though, and sen shoved them aside. She could pout about it when they came out of this thing alive. Without saying a word, her hands twisted into the ever-familiar signs. White smoke filled the air, and out from it burst another ferruginous hawk, wings beating the air in powerful strokes as she flew between her two comrades, Akaihane and Gorudo flanking the group.

'You lot better appreciate this. It's damn hard flying through these trees.' Sen whined silently at the boys, dropping swiftly as she narrowly avoided a branch threatening to separate her head from her body. The spectacle earned a sharp bark of laughter from Ukon, who was quickly silenced by three fierce pairs of eyes glaring at him. He screwed his eyes shut momentarily out of annoyance and harrumphed. "Just find us a cave or something, Sen."

"Well, I wouldn't call it a cave - based on the terrain I doubt we'll find any of those here - but there's a decent-sized area to hide out in underneath a tree just up ahead. Let's stop for a moment." The kunoichi cast her wings out to stop and landed on a nearby branch. She released her Transformation, reverting back to her normal form before performing another set of hand signs, the ones for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Once her clone appeared, they both transformed again. "Go check out that hidey-hole up ahead." She commanded. The clone's head bobbed up and down in acknowledgment before she turned and took off in the direction of the strange opening beneath the tree's roots.

The three Genin waited, Sen not moving while she waited for her clone to release itself from the Jutsu so she would know if it was safe to enter the den. Maybe five minutes passed before Sen finally stretched her wings outward, signaling tot he other two it was time to move. "It's safe." Was all she said before taking off, the boys hot on her heels. No one spoke a word until they reached the tree-cave. When someone did, it was Sen saying she and Go would go hunting and leave Akai there in case something happened. The raptor and raptor-girl returned about an hour later, talons grasping a stringer of fish. All three raptors ate their fish raw, leaving Hiroe and a disgusted-looking Ukon to take care of their own meals. 

That night, Sen would keep second watch, meaning she would get five hours of sleep, then remain awake and wake the others at five. They'd had a short discussion on strategy earlier that night, but hadn't come to any concrete solutions. The talk left Sen's head spinning as she pulled out her folded sleeping roll and tossed and turned her way into oblivion.